'An essential point is to increase productivity,' said Masataka Tamaki, general manager of corporate planning at H.I.S.

He said only one person needs to oversee the robot cafe, compared to several people needed at a regular coffee shop, so it can serve better quality coffee at a reasonable price.

Japan has a new robot cafe where customers can enjoy coffee brewed and served by a robot barista. The robot named Sawyer debuted this week at Henna Cafe in Tokyo's downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya

HOW DOES A ONE-ARMED ROBOT MAKE AND SERVE COFFEE?

Sawyer is a single-arm robot designed to carry out tasks that wouldn’t be practical to automate with traditional industrial robots, according to Rethink Robotics.

At the new Henna Cafe in Tokyo's downtown business and shopping district of Shibuya, that task is serving coffee.

A cup of brewed coffee served by Sawyer costs 320 yen ($3) and takes a few minutes

It grinds the coffee beans, fills a filter and pours hot water over a paper cup for up to five people at once.

Sawyer can also operate an automated machine for six other hot drinks including cappuccino, hot chocolate and green tea latte.

The robot has a robotic arm with 7 degrees of freedom and a 1260 mm reach.

This allows it to move around in tight spaces typically designed for humans – like behind the counter at a café.

It can pick up the cups with its pincer-like grasper.

Tamaki says it's not just about efficiency.

'We want the robot to entertain customers so it's not like buying coffee at a vending machine,' he said.

Takeshi Yamamoto, a 68-year-old restaurant employee who works in the neighborhood, said his first experience with the robot cafe was very enjoyable, and his robot-made coffee was delicious.

'It's quite rich, and tastes very good,' Yamamoto said, as he took a sip.

'You can get machine-made coffee at convenience stores, too, and it's actually good. But here, I had great fun.'

The single-armed robot scans a ticket purchased from a vending machine and greets the customer. The cafe operator, travel agency H.I.S. Co., says robots can increase productivity while also entertaining customers